Weekend Workout: It’s OK to Work Out Only on Weekends

Weekend warriors, get excited! Scientists have proven some exciting things about workout habits and routines.

If you’re tight on time during the week and can hit the gym only on Saturdays and Sundays, you’ll welcome the results of a new survey published by JAMA Internal Medicine.

After crunching the numbers on 63,591 adults, a team of researchers from Harvard University School of Public Health and universities in England and Australia, found that when compared with sedentary adults, weekend warriors who performed the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity in one or two sessions per week had a 30 percent lower risk of death from all causes, including cardiovascular disease (40 percent lower) and cancer (18 percent lower). That means 8,802 fewer deaths from all causes, including 2,780 from cardiovascular disease and 2,526 from cancer.

These findings suggest that when it comes to exercise, quality trumps quantity. “One all-encompassing workout is worth more than several poorly planned workouts,” says New York Health & Racquet Club Personal Trainer, Greg Peck. And perhaps more significant is the evidence that some exercise is better than none. “There is no such thing as bad exercise,” Peck adds.

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